The Danger MarkChambers, Robert W. (Robert William)
General
The Danger Mark
Chambers, Robert W. (Robert William)
New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
"What list?" she demanded. "Give that letter to me.... Oh, Scott! Did
you ever hear of anything half so mean? Kathleen's written out about a
thousand questions in geography for us!"
"I can't stand that sort of interference!" shouted Scott, dropping his
chalk and aiming a kick at the big papier-mache globe. "I'm sorry
Kathleen's mother is probably going to die, but I've had enough
geography, too."
"Mrs. Severn's mother died on Friday," said the housekeeper solemnly.
The children paused, serious for a moment in the presence of the
incomprehensible.
"We're sorry," said Geraldine slowly.... "When is Kathleen coming back?"
"Perhaps to-night, dearie----"
Scott impatiently detached the schoolroom globe from its brass axis:
"I'm sorry, too," he said; "but I'm tired of lessons. Now, Mrs. Farren,
watch me! I'm going to kick a goal from the field. Here, you hold it,
Geraldine; Mrs. Farren, you had better try to block it and cheer for
Yale!"
Geraldine seized the globe, threw herself flat on the floor, and, head
on one side, wriggled, carefully considering the angle. Then, tipping
the globe, she adjusted it daintily for her brother to kick.
"A little higher, please; look out there, Mrs. Farren!" said Scott
calmly; "Harvard is going to score this time. Now, Geraldine!"
Thump! came the kick, but Mrs. Farren had fled, and the big globe struck
the nursery door and bounced back minus half of South America.
For ten minutes the upper floors echoed with the racket. Geraldine
fiercely disputed her brother's right to kick every time; then, as
usual, when she got what she wanted, gave up to Scott and let him
monopolise the kicking until, satiated, he went back to the black-board,
having obliterated several continents from the face of the globe.
"You might at least be polite enough to hold it for me to kick," said
his sister. "What a pig you are, Scott."
"Don't bother me; I'm drawing Howker. You can't kick straight,
anyway----"
"Yes, I can!"
Scott, intent on his drawing, muttered:
"I wish there was another boy in this house; I might have a little fun
to-day if there was anybody to play with."
There ensued a silence; then he heard his sister's light little feet
flying along the hallway toward their bedrooms, but went on calmly with
his drawing, using some effective coloured crayon on Howker's nose.
Presently he became conscious that Geraldine had re-entered the room.
"What are you going to do to-day?" he asked, preoccupied.
Geraldine, dressed in her brother's clothes, was kneeling on one knee
and hastily strapping on a single roller-skate.
"I'll show you," she said, rising and shaking the dark curls out of her
eyes. "Come on, Scott, I'm going to misbehave all day. Look at me! I've
brought you the boy you wanted to play with."
Her brother turned, considered her with patronising toleration, then
shrugged his shoulders.
"You look like one, but you're no good," he said.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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